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10 Dec 2016 12:44:24am

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It seems from your mention of pastoral care that your school is already strongly affiliated with a religious program.

Having been to state schools in small country towns where the headmasters have been possibly more religious than some of the local ministers, I know what it's like to be under the heel of a single religious mindset. Having only a chaplain to turn to for counselling diminishes rather than expands the range of options available to students. Given the embarrassing dogmatism that stultified my education in these circumstances, I would never support a state-funded chaplaincy program.